Meant To Be
by princessarimartell
Summary: Aeliana Zabini, Slytherin Queen, Quidditch Chaser extraordinaire, is about to start her fifth year at Hogwarts. A year she hopes is filled with fun, friends and no drama, will most certainly include quite a lot of thoughts on an infuriating James Sirius Potter.
1. From One Hell to Another

**A/N: Hey guys! I've had the thought for this story for quite a while now, hope you like it!  
Please review, I would love to hear your opinions on it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I only own my own creations. The rest belong to the incredible J.K. Rowling.**

 **Enjoy!**

CHAPTER ONE

Aeliana P.O.V.

I was woken rudely from my slumber by the delightful sounds of my father puking.

I forced my eyes open, and blearily surveyed the room around me. Thick, dark curtains extinguished any beam of morning light that could enter through the lone window next to my bed. My bedroom was dark, how I preferred it, and I wanted nothing more than to lie back down, pull the blanket over my head, and sleep away my father's hangover in comfort.

I lay back down and peeked at the clock on my bedside table. The bright red digits read 10:58.

 _Shit._ I was supposed to Floo to Malfoy Manor in an hour. A minute later than 12:00, and Mother Malfoy wouldn't give me any lunch. Scorpius would, no doubt, sneak me some morsels as he has many times in the past, but after half-starving for over a month and a half, I would rather a proper meal.

Stretching like a feline, I whipped the soft covers off me and sat up in bed. Waking up was painful. I almost lay back down again, when I remembered that I'd be visiting Diagon Alley today, and I'd be back at Hogwarts within a week. A smile wove its way into my expression, and my heart felt like exploding out of my chest. I loved my school, my real home. When I was at Hogwarts, I could actually pretend my life during the summer was just a bad dream.

Cheerful now, I jumped out of bed and dragged the heavy curtains open. I cringed at the bright light coming in, and I turned around to face my room. It had always been a mess, I never bothered to clear it up. But today, there seemed to be more clothes and wrappers strewn around than usual. I furrowed my brow, wondering where the excess trash had come from, before my gaze fell upon a half-filled suitcase across the room.

Perfect. I had forgotten to pack.

I rushed to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, had a shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and came out in record time. I know had 45 minutes to get ready and pack before having to physically be present in Malfoy Manor, if I wanted Astoria Bitch Malfoy to give me food.

I surveyed my room, and found a pair of clean pants and a top that would meet pureblood expectations. I threw on my clothes, rubbed my hair dry of any excess droplets of water, and I was ready. Now, for my suitcase.

The next half an hour was filled with my muttering and a frenzy of clothes, shoes, books, stationary and random artefacts I felt I needed for the school year being chucked into my suitcase. At 11:45, I heard the familiar _bang_ of the fireplace, and my father started yelling. I heard loud footsteps jogging up the stairs, and my door was thrown open by a white-haired aristocratic snob.

"Scorpius!" I squealed, jumping up and throwing myself at him. He was _my_ white-haired aristocratic snob, and I had missed him.

"Lia," he breathed into my hair, crushing me in his strong, muscled Seeker arms. I drew back, and scrunched my nose up, surveying how much he had grown over the summer.

"You're taller than me!" I exclaimed in disgusted surprise, folding my arms over my chest. Maturely, he stuck his tongue out at me. He looked behind me and whistled. "Did you get messier over the summer?"

My eyes widened. "That reminds me. Help me close my suitcase," I said while grabbing his arm and dragging him over to my exploding case.

He knew the drill. I sat down on it, and he locked it. Grabbing it and yanking it up by the handle, I huffed. "Let's go. I don't want to give your mother any more reason to hate me."

With Scorpius' help, I dragged the suitcase down the stairs, making my way to the living room, praying that it was empty. It wasn't.

Blaise Zabini stood blocking the grate, his arms folded, glowering at me.

"Hi Dad!" I gave him the cheeriest smile I could muster while struggling with the monstrosity I call a suitcase.

"Here, give it to me," insisted Scorpius, "I'll wait for you at the Manor." He grabbed the suitcase out of my hands, and somehow miraculously got it into the fireplace. Scooping out a bit of the emerald green powder from its jar next to the grate, he yelled, "Malfoy Manor!" and was gone in a swirl of green fire.

There was an awkward silence. I couldn't look at my father, couldn't find the words to say goodbye to the man I hadn't spoken a proper sentence to since I was 9 years old. The most I had said to him over the summer was probably the name of the pizza I was going to order.

It has been this way for as long as I could remember. It was a routine now- wake up to the sound of his puking, hide in my room until around two in the afternoon when he went out to the local pub, so that I finally escaped my hideout and was free at home till I went to bed and woke up to the sound of his vomit again the next day.

We lived in the muggle suburbs of a town, that's why every year I Flooed to Malfoy Manor, from where I went back to school. Scorpius' dad and mine were best friends in school, and so Draco Malfoy was made my godfather.

I never knew my mother, and my father never spoke of her. He cared for me when I was a little girl, and one day I grew up, and he just stopped caring. He found his solace in alcohol, and suddenly, I didn't know my dad anymore.

I found my solace in Hogwarts. I had my friends, my books, my Quidditch. I didn't need my father anymore.

Which created a problem. What was I going to say to him?

"Look at me," I heard a croak. I looked up with a start. My father was gazing at me with the ferocity to match a mother bear fawning over her cubs. That was a disturbing thought. Moving on.

He was searching my eyes for something, and I felt the need, the desire to give him what he wanted, but again, I had no idea what he was searching for. Suddenly, he stepped in front of me and gathered me in his arms.

I went stiff with shock. He hadn't had any physical contact with me since I was a child. I slowly relaxed into the embrace, and closed my eyes. He reeked of alcohol, but I could make out a slight scent of something that felt homely and comforting.

He released me, and I smiled up at him. "See you, dad."

Before he could say anything, or make a move to do anything else, I stepped into the fireplace, grabbing a fistful of Floo powder.

I looked into his dark brown eyes, so much like my own, glimmering with an emotion I couldn't place.

"Malfoy Manor."


	2. A Very Eventful Shopping Expedition

CHAPTER TWO

Aeliana P.O.V.

Lunch was an awkward affair.

It had all started when I tumbled out of the Malfoys' fireplace and onto the pristine furry white rug down below. I was covered in soot, and now the rug was sooty too. I refused to take the blame for it, it wasn't my fault the interior decorator had not possessed a brain. Who would place a white rug in front of a fireplace anyway?

I was sent up to my room in the Manor to clean up by a furious Astoria Malfoy. I came down fifteen minutes later, dressed for Diagon Alley and looking quite presentable. The dining table could seat sixteen guests, and the four of us occupied a tiny area relative to the enormity of the table.

Mr. Malfoy, or as he begged me to call him, Draco, was seated at the head of the table. Scorpius was seated to his right, so I sat down in front of him, to the left of Draco.

Apparently that was a terrible folly. Mother Malfoy was beside me at once.

"That's my seat," she proclaimed loftily. I snorted quietly. "I didn't know we were still in kindergarten," I muttered under my breath, shifting a seat. Unfortunately, she heard me. Her eyes burned holes at the back of my head.

I turned around to face her, and her mouth opened to berate me. Before she could start using that terribly high pitched voice, I took the bowl of salad from her hands and set it on the table, turning away from her and ignoring her completely.

Both the boys started choking on their water.

The rest of lunch passed in silence. The food was delicious, I was quiet, so Astoria Malfoy found no reason to complain. I had just piled another leg of chicken on my plate when Scorpius announced that we had to leave for Diagon Alley.

I glared at him, pointing at my chicken. Astoria glared at me, looking at my dining etiquette in disgust. I hadn't had a proper meal in weeks and was eating like a rabid animal, and had been ignoring her pointed glares toward myself for the past half hour.

Scorpius waited while I finished my chicken and had downed another glass of water. He then grabbed me just as I was reaching for more potatoes, "Aeliana, we are leaving. Now."

I pouted. Sending a last longing look at the almost empty plates of food, I sent a gracious farewell to Draco. I turned to Mother Vulture and mustered the politest tone I could. "We'll be back for dinner, Mrs. Malfoy."

She narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth, and for the second time that afternoon, she was cut off.

"Bye, mother!" Scorpius said hurriedly, no doubt wanting to avoid any further conflict. He dragged me away from the food and not trusting me to end up at the right pub, he crouched into the fireplace with me.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" he yelled.

For the second time that day, I fell out of a fireplace, but this time, an obnoxious heavy moron fell on top of me,

"Get off me, fat arse!" I yelled at Scorpius. Chuckling, he got up and brushed himself off, before offering me a hand. I sent him a mutinous expression and pushed myself off the floor. Ignoring the wide-eyed gazes of witched and wizards all around us, I held my head high and made my way to the back of the pub, to the entrance to Diagon Alley.

Scorpius did the complicated wand motion tapping thing even though he's a year younger, because somehow I always manage to mess it up and last year I accidentally turned him purple.

The wall breaks up into the archway, and I am finally rewarded with the long cobbled lane of Diagon Alley. It feels like a huge weight has just been lifted off my chest, and I laugh, feeling giddy with happiness.

"Let's go find Sabrina!" I squealed. Sabrina Avery was my best friend, who had promised to cut off my head if I didn't meet her today.

Scorpius groaned. "Madame Malkin's first. I need new robes."

"Aww, did lil' Scorpy grow too fat for his wee lil' robes?"

Scorpius sent me a glare, and pushed me into a mannequin. "Oh, look at that! We found Madame Malkin's," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and followed him into the shop.

Ten minutes later, I was bored out of my mind. I hated shopping, and Scorpius was taking his own sweet time to find a perfect set of robes for himself. I pulled out my wand, revelling in the pleasure of finally being able to use it. A simpering voice made me look up.

Scorpius was no longer alone, but in the company of a rather horridly dressed assistant. The glint in her horrible black eyes was predatory, and her red lips were pulled back in a desperate plea for affection. Scorpius was rather good looking, and she was clearly a slag.

Poor Scorpius was getting quite flustered. Ha. Serves him right for getting me into this dreaded shop. It was actually quite amusing to watch, as the assistant cornered him and shoved him up against the wall. She looked like she want to climb on top of him.

I laughed out loud. Probably not the most tactical approach, but really, the expression on Scorpius' face was a cross between horror and helplessness.

Both their heads turned around to face me. I smiled. "I'm sorry to interrupt, please do continue."

I thought I sounded quite polite. Apparently the assistant mistook my politeness for sarcasm. She started walking towards me. "Can I help you with something, _ma'am_?

She walked like a panther on the prowl, and her eyes were dangerous. My wand was already in my hand, and I was never best when I was feeling threatened. I closed my eyes, and there was a sudden _pop sound._

"WHAT THE FUCK, LIA?" Scorpius yelled. I opened my eyes to a pure white, flustered looking goose.

"You turned her into a goose?" he exclaimed in disbelief. My mouth opened in shock. The goose flapped her wings.

Madame Malkin came hurrying out at the commotion. "What's all this commotion? Daphne..." her voice trailed off as her beady eyes swept from the goose, to my wand, and back to the goose.

It took a minute for her to come to her senses. "Get out! Get out of my shop!"

"But..." tried a desperate Scorpius.

"Get OUT!" Madame Malkin, with incredible strength for her age, opened the door, causing the entrance bell to ring rather loudly, and threw us out of the shop.

Scorpius and I were the objects of everyone's fascination. Yet again.

I opened my mouth to say something intelligent, but I fell over laughing. Scorpius was still in shock. He turned to me, still hysterical on the ground. "LIA! Mother is going to flay me!"

I found my voice again, "I'm sorry, I'm just terrible at Transfiguration."

"Terrible? You turned her into a BIRD!"

I was on a completely different track. "Did you see her _face_? And when she tried to climb on top of you..."

"A BIRD LIA, A BIRD!"

"Scorpius!" A voice called out, stopping both our rants effectively. I had completely forgotten about the residents of Diagon Alley who were gaping at us, and I looked up to see wizards shaking their heads and going on their way, clearing out so I could see a huge mop of red heads.

Oh, great. Weasleys.

The voice had come from somewhere to our left, and I craned my head to pinpoint the owner. A scrawny boy with unruly black hair and startling green eyes materialised.

Oh, great. The Potters were here as well.

"Al!" Scorpius called in greeting as Potter made his way toward him. I scrunched up my nose and turned away. I didn't really have anything against Albus Potter, but the constant fights Scorpius has with his parents over their friendship hasn't made me too fond of the green-eyed boy.

My vision was suddenly blocked by a rather tall creature, with quite shapely legs, I grudgingly accepted. I shaded my eyes from the light as they made their way up those legs to the face of the person so arrogantly blocking me.

I groaned.

"Checking my legs out, Zabini?" crowed James Sirius Potter.

"Shove off, Potter," I grumbled, suddenly realising I was still on the ground from my little hysterical fit.

A hand materialised in front of my face, and I was about to shove it away, when I realised Potter was offering it to me.

I gazed up in bewilderment, making sure it wasn't a trick of some sort. He and that Fred Weasley were always up to no good, the pranksters of the generation. Jesting ran in their blood, it was really too bad they were beloved by the whole school, professors included.

My eyes met his hazel ones, sparkling in the sunlight. His chiseled features were pulled into a smirk, as if it was an inside joke that only the two of us knew. I took his hand cautiously, and his strong hand gripped mine and pulled me right up in front of him.

I inhaled rapidly, noting the centimetres that separated us. He was annoying tall, but not very much so, my forehead reaching his chin. Well, my forehead could have reached his chin had I moved forward a few centimetres.

His eyes were a sparkling hazel, and I observed the few green-gold flecks in them that were brought out by the sunlight.

Scorpius cleared his throat.

I let go of Potter's hand as if it burnt me and I took quite a few steps back.

The arsehole was grinning now, some sort of joke I did not have the presence of mind to understand. I looked at Scorpius and knew he would want to go off with Albus.

I sighed. "I'm going to look for Sabrina."

Scorpius nodded. "Meet me at Florean Fortescue's in two hours? Any longer and mother will throw a fit."

"Any chance I can turn her into a goose as well?" I grinned. Scorpius glared at me. I heard a suspicious squawk from inside Madame Malkin's and decided it was time to leave.

I walked off without a backward glance, and realised a fact I could never admit.

My hand was still tingling from Potter's touch.

Damn him.

xxxxxxxxxx

After wandering around Diagon Alley for half an hour, I could still see no sign of Sabrina. I was almost at Flourish and Blott's, so I decided to pick up the extra books needed for this year, before returning to my search.

I pushed open the door, and the bell above tinkled, introducing me.

The assistant at this store seemed much nicer than the previous goose, and he smiled at me. "What can I get for you, miss?"

I looked down at my list, just as I heard another tinkle.

"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5." I looked up, to identify the person who had spoken with me in unison.

"Potter?"

"Zabini," James Potter said pleasantly.

Trying to take in the shock of his sudden entry, I turned back to the assistant, who looked rather frantic. "I am so sorry Miss and Mr., but it seems like we have a problem. You see, we have only one Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 left."

I was speechless. It seemed I had had quite a day, and now this new turn of events rendered me incapable of knowing what to say.

Potter, thankfully, knew what to say.

"When will you get the next shipment?"

"I don't know sir, it could be any time between tomorrow and next year. I am very sorry about this, it seems like you two are the last customers from Year Five."

I was taken aback. I couldn't very well ask my father for his fifth year spellbook. Besides knowing whether or not he would still have it, it would also prove to be an extremely awkward conversation.

"Oi, Zabini!"

I snapped out of my daydream. "What?" I was expecting some sarcastic comment from Potter.

"You can take the book."

"What?"

"I said, you can have the book, Zabini."

My mouth was open and I was gaping like a fish. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my dad would have his old grade five spell book, he hoards his books. If not, I can always ask Aunt Hermione, I'm sure she'll still have hers."

I was genuinely shocked. Was Potter actually being nice to me, after years of good ol' Quidditch and House rivalry?

"Uh...thanks," I said slowly, still not fully comprehending his words.

Potter looked exasperated. "Oh for Merlin's sake." He walked toward me and grabbed my money bag.

"One Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, please," he grinned at the assistant. Potter gave him my money, and he gave Potter the book. The two men seemed to share some sort of communication, before Potter smirked and walked back to me.

"Here," he said, handing me the book and my money bag. Our hands brushed again, and the same old tingly feeling came back, full force. Potter smirked at me with his annoyingly gorgeous eyes, raked a hand through his already messy hair, turned, and walked out of Flourish and Blott's.

The bell tinkled.

Goddamn him.


End file.
